Osteopathic Medicine

In 1874, Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO developed Osteopathic Medicine.  Dr. Still, a Civil War physician, became dissatisfied with the effectiveness of 19th-century medicine after the great personal tragedy of losing 3 children to meningitis and another to pneumonia.  He believed that many of the medicines of the day were useless or even harmful.  His inability to save his family, coupled with his grim experiences as a war doctor, led Still to reject most of what he had learned about medicine and search for new and better methods.

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) earn a four-year undergraduate degree. AOCA members complete four years of medical school and a 3-5 year residency in anesthesiology. 

To merit certification in anesthesiology, DOs must pass special oral and written examinations, and while in practice they are examined by the American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology for continuous certification.  An osteopathic anesthesiologist must also continue the educational process through courses, seminars, practice assessments and teaching.